Rosekit's Story
by queennymphadora
Summary: The story of little Rosekit in her journey to Rosepaw, Rose whatever, and possibley Rosestar! Warning: Death involved. Don't worry, not extreme. Just the normal death, except for the leader.....
1. Rosekit

It was dark. Rosekit couldn't see anything outside the nursery. Fog was gathering inside the nursery, and getting thick. Daisyfur, Rosekit's mother, was huddled around her kit to keep them dry and warm. Rosekit was an albino, so most all of the clan members treated her like she was fragile and weak. She wanted to prove them all wrong. "Mama, I am going to be the greatest warrior in the forest!" said the exclaimed kit on her sixth moon. She was to be the newest apprentice.

"Yes, I know you will," replied the light ginger queen. "I believe in you Rosekit, er, I mean, Rosepaw."

"Thanks mama."

"Let all cats old enough to hunt for themselves please gather under Highrock," said Wildstar, the great clan leader. "Rosekit has now reached her sixth moon. Rosekit, do you promise to be loyal only to your clan and to uphold the warrior code?" asked Wildstar to Rosekit.

"I do."

"Now, I shall give you your apprentice name, Rosepaw!"

Rosepaw was so exited. She was shuffling her paws and her tail was flinging madly.

"Rosepaw, Rosepaw, Rosepaw!" cried the cats under Highrock. "Grasspelt, I announce you Rosepaw's mentor. Lionheart was your mentor, and I believe you to pass all you know to Rosepaw."

"I will, Wildstar," replied Grasspelt, authoratively.

Daisyfur was sobbing proudly by Rosepaw. Rosepaw quickly padded forward and touched noses with Grasspelt. She noticed that Grasspelt's nose was crusty and dry. And he also looked sickly and feverish.

Leafbare started the next moon. Snow came plummeting down from the heavens as heavy and thick as metal itself. Rosepaw had difficulties wading through the snow, and quickly learned her advantages of being albino. She blended with the snow easily and could catch the whitest rabbit. She was always able to bring feasts for the Elders, and was often sent on duties to gather herbs for Jayfeather, the Medicine Cat.

"Rosepaw, I need you to bring some mouse bile to the Elders for their ticks," cried Jayfeather from inside his den. "Not again," wailed Rosepaw. "I always do it! Make Hollypaw do it!"

"I gave you the order, not Hollypaw," retorted the old cat back. "Hollypaw has plenty other things to do."

Hollypaw was Wildstar's daughter. She was training hard and was always sent on patrols with the warriors. Rosepaw was good friends with her, but her best friend was Skypaw. They were born at the same time, though not sisters. Skypaw's mother was Scarface. Her mother was far from loving, and Skypaw was almost happy when Scarface died in the Battle of Leafclan, a horrid war between Leafclan and Skyclan.

To be continued……..


	2. News of War

THREE MOONS LATER….

"Okay, Rosepaw, what you have to do with a rabbit is be very quiet. Rabbits can hear—" said Grasspelt before he got cut off.

"Rabbits can hear you and mice feel you!" said Rosepaw as if she just won a million dollars for answering.

"Right," murmured Grasspelt. Rosepaw did a play fight with Grasspelt for the rest of the day. She had learned so much. Too much in Grasspelt's eyes.

Skypaw was waiting outside the tunnel into the camp eagerly for Rosepaw. When she saw her pop out of the tunnel, Skypaw pounced on Rosepaw. Rosepaw, seeing that there was no harm intended in the attack, flipped onto her back and quickly got up. She jumped on top of Skypaw and held on tight. Skyflower quickly twisted herself around under Rosepaw and gently held onto her neck, but held it firm. Rosepaw wailed and spun her head and threw Skypaw off. "Okay, okay! I give up, Rosepaw!" laughed Skypaw. Rosepaw promptly put her paw on top of Skypaw's neck and grinned. "Beat again, Skypaw!" mocked the young albino.

Rosepaw and Skypaw were sharing training together with Mooneye, a ginger tortoise shell cat that was blind in one eye. Skypaw was rolling around trying to kill a huge rabbit that had some serious kick. The killing blow was sloppy, and the rabbit laid on the ground dying for mere seconds. Mooneye, though blind, explained to Skypaw how to kill instantly without hurting the prey. Rosepaw was tumbling with a small snake that had wrapped itself around Rosepaw's front legs and not willing to let go. Rosepaw killed it, just to be told by Mooneye that it wasn't edible. "Oh, come on! It took me forever to kill it!" wailed Rosepaw.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know cats could make the inedible, edible!" said Mooneye sarcastically. "So sorry. I don't know how to do it. Why not do it for me, Rosepaw?" Rosepaw didn't answer and followed the scent of a fat thrush.

Suddenly, Tickkit, a gray kit that had endless ticks in his fur, tumbled into the clearing. "Help! Skyclan is being attacked by Leafclan! And they have some other cats with them that are not in any clan!" he yowled. His breath was fast and his eyes were fast. Mooneye, Skypaw, and Rosepaw ran back to camp, unknowing what would happen next.


	3. The Kidnapping

Rosepaw crashed through the grass and into the camp. She saw many cats, warriors and apprentices, biting and scratching eachother. Blood was shed over the dirt and Wildstar was fighting with two cats, a foreigner and a Leafclan warrior. The foreighner was barely worth the challenge, and the other looked as if he had just become a warrior. Wildstar brushed them off easily, so Rosepaw didn't try to help him. Suddenly, a black and white tom thrashed out of the battle and slammed into Rosepaw. Rosepaw raked him across the face, though it didn't do much. The warrior grabbed Rosepaw by the scruff and ran out of the camp. The warrior didn't bother with comfort, so Rosepaw was in pain. She tried to yowl for help, but the warrior's grip on her choked her. Then, she was slammed into a trunk of a tree, and she blacked out.

When Rosepaw awoke, she was startled to see and smell unfamiliar things in this den. She then remembered the battle and the kidnapping. She tried to run out of the den, but the tom that took her by the tail and threw her back in. "Hey! Let me go! Help, help!" she cried, though no one was going to answer. "Oh, shut up you little twerp," said the tom. "It was hard enough with you thrashing in my mouth. You're lucky I didn't slam you into a live oak. That dead wood was barely anything to what happened to somethin'-paw over there." He looked at the corner of the den at a living mass of gray fur. Or was it just some grass? It didn't look like a cat, though it's paws were out and the mass was heaving. Almost like breathing--- "Skypaw!" exclaimed Rosepaw. Her beloved friend was in that corner, bleeding on the side of her head and just alive.

"You're supposed to kidnappe them, not kill them!" said Riverwind, the Leafclan Medicince Cat. Riverwind was cleaning the blood off of Skypaw's fur and squeezing the wound together to stop the bleeding. Rosepaw insisted on coming, so the black and white tom, or Shadowlight, had brought her by the scruff into the den and guarded the enteranceway. "I am not a kit! Don't grab my scruff! At least don't use your teeth!" nagged Rosepaw. _Just annoy him enough so he lets his guard down. _She thought. It was a great intention, just not enough. "For Starclan's sake, shut the heck up!" cried Shadowlight. "Arrrrrgh!"

-------------------------

"The kits! The apprentices! Where are they?" yowled Daisyfur. "Where is Rosepaw?" She was searching wildly and in vain for her lost daughter. "Daisyfur! Stop this vain search at once!" said Wildstar. His eyes bored into the air as he looked over the plateau on which Skyclan rested. He could see the small, brown splotch that was Leafclan camp. He could see the grass and shrubs rustle as the foreighners left for their own territory, which was very close to the Twoleg territory. Crackedfang, the brown, yellow, and white spotted deputy, joined Wildstar with his unmoving search over the land. "Tragic, isn't it?" he asked, his rough voice quiet as not to lead any eavsdroppers. "All the kits and half the apprentices, gone, just like that.  
"Yes," said the wise leader. "it is tragic. They stole my beloved Hollypaw!" shouted Wildstar, suddenly. Wildstar coaght his mistake and motioned to Crackedfang to go to his den. "They stole my Shaggykit, Dawnkit, and Clawkit, also," said the rough voiced deputy. "And they destroyed my life, my Dawncloud." Dawncloud was the mother of Shaggykit, Dawnkit, and Clawkit. Dawncloud was Crackedfang's sister, and her kits were all decendents to Crackedfang. "Leafclan has gone to far," hissed Crackedfang, showing his cracked teeth, broken by war, and really hard boned voles, Crackedfang's favorite food. The voles in the Southern part of the forest, where Leafclan and Skyclan had their camps, were very fat and hard boned. The winters were rough, usually 20-, and the prey had adapted and learned to become strong and fat. It was their only way to survive, and to die more also. The cats had no problem with that, but a thought haunted Wildstar. _What are they doing to our children?_


	4. Escaping

Meanwhile, back at Leafclan camp, Rosepaw was standing by the injured Skypaw. She was very sleepy. _Nothing will happen if I just sleep a small wink._ She thought as her eyelids drooped low, very, very low until she barely knew what was in front of her...

Rosepaw was on her Skyclan plateau. She didn't smell anything. She could see, but yet, she couldn't see. She was running around, yelling, "Wildstar! Momma! Jayfeather! Hello?" She looked for dens, but then she saw a horrifying sight. Everything was black. Fire was still in small embers everywhere and one den was still burning. It was the self-dug den that Crackedfang only slept in. Rosepaw ran up to it, and gasped. Behind the flames, Crackedfang was trapped in the den. His eyes wide and rolling. Crackedfang was choking on the thick smoke, and then Rosepaw woke up. "No! Crackedfang!"  
"Shut the ruddy Starclan up, twerp!" yowled Shadowlight, clearly in another den. He ran in to check on things, and saw Rosepaw looking around, her eyes wide. Skypaw's breathing was fast and labored, and her wound was greenish and ugly. "It's infected," said Riverwind. "She's not going to live long. Might as well feed her to the wolves right now."  
Rosepaw then slammed into Riverwind and grabbed Skypaw by the scruff. She scrambled under Shadowlight's legs and ran out of camp as fast as she could with Skypaw in her mouth.  
"NO!" cried Blackstar, the Leafclan leader. "THEY'LL LEAK INFORMATION!" Rosepaw was already gone. She was tumbling through the shrubs and grasses. She was the high plateau where her camp was. She was almost home.

Rosepaw was running much slower. She was exausted and her legs were complaining from all the over work. She fell to the ground, and her body would not let her get back up. She tried to remember what Jayfeather said about anti-bacterial venom... "Grass snakes!" she suddenly remembered. A whole bunch of dumb luck shined upon her as a grass snake slithered right into Skypaw's heaving body. It was clearly old and didn't know what to do with the furry mass blocking its way. Rosepaw killed it and found a large leaf. She used her claws to open its mouth and let the harmless venom drip onto the leaf. Twice she spilled the venom and she had to start over, but she got it. She dripped it onto Skypaw's wound and prayed for a merical.  
Then, Shadowlight charged into the tall grass where Rosepaw was hiding and healing Skypaw. He looked insane, his body cut and his eyes wild. "Oh, you little brat! I go through all the trouble to kidnappe you, knock you and and whatever-paw here out cold, and you run off without a 'Good Bye!'" he said. "Now, I am gonna do what I need to and get out of here, and you're going to be a good girl and go along with it." Shadowlight leaped at Rosepaw, his ransid, yellow teeth bared and ready to tear. He grabbed her neck and held tight. "I an gonna ki' you!" he said while still holding on. Rosepaw gasped for breath.  
He was slowly killing her, a shameful way to kill an enemy. It was brutal and was considered a sign of a deranged and evil cat. But Shadowlight held. He seemed to have done this before because he tempted Rosepaw by letting go the tiniest bit and the tiniest bit of air went into Rosepaw's lungs, which just tortured her more. Rosepaw collected all her remaining strength and tried to throw Shadowlight off. He flew off, though his teeth raked her neck and made her bleed. Rosepaw looked at Skypaw, still now, with lighter breathing. She saw the wound on her head, and anger built inside her. She hissed and jumped on top of Shadowlight.  
She bit down on his neck, a deadly blow, and Shadowlight yowled into the sky and fell limp. Rosepaw looked at what she had done. Pride and fear covered her heart, and she wished desperately that she was at her camp, with soft mosses to comfort her at night and Skypaw, with no wound, sleeping beside her.  
She poked Skypaw with her muzzle, and she gave a low rumbling sound. Skypaw groaned, looked warily, and laid her head down. "Rosepaw," she whispered. "are we home?" Rosepaw was startled at this, and quickly told it the best she could. "Not yet, Skypaw. Not quite yet."


	5. A Raging Battle

Rosepaw was now trying to keep Skypaw on her feet. Skypaw's wound was healing fast, but not fast enough. It had been several days since the escape from Leafclan. "Uh oh," said Skypaw. They had reached the plateau, but the single fact that it was a plateau made it impossible for them to climp. _How did Shadowlight and the others get us down? _Thought Rosepaw. She let Skypaw rest and ran around the plateau. She then saw a stair-like ridge on the side. It was like a slide, only when Rosepaw tried to climb it, she didn't slide. She was a live oak half holding on to the plateau, and half its roots swiveled everywhere. She was a mark of blood, and metally noted that it was probably where Shadowlight slammed Skypaw's head. Rosepaw looked through the roots to look for an entranceway. She found that one of the roots could be moved, so she lifted it as high as she could and ran through it barely before it wacked her. It was big enough to be a fatal blow.  
Rosepaw reached the top, and ran to the camp. She yelled, "Wildstar! Help, Skypaw's hurt!" At the sound of her voice, every cat ran out of their dens and started licking her and purring. Wildstar called them away and asked, "Where is Skypaw and the others?"  
"At the bottom of the plateau is Skypaw, and the rest are still at Leafclan."  
"Hollypaw?"  
"Yes, she's still at camp, also."  
Jayfeather, then, ran out of his den with herbs in a huge leaf from a tree that had no name very close to Leafclan. "Let's go!" he yowled. His apprentice, Poppypaw, followed him along with several warriors and Crackedfang.

They came back hours later with Skypaw on Jayfeather and Crackedfang's backs. Skypaw was complaining that she could walk, and needed not to be carried. "No, your paw is broken and your head is smashed in!" snapped Jayfeather. Skypaw quickly became quiet and was settled into the den.  
"My warriors, we must save the kits!" said Wildstar.  
"And the apprentices," said Daisyfur.  
"Yes, and the appretices."

Rosepaw, Wildstar, Grasspelt, Crackedfang, Nightshadow, Darkclaw, Grass-seed, and Flowercloud all followed Wildstar through the brush and shrubs. They ran down thePlateau Stair, as the clan called it, and ran as fast as they could. They reached Leafclan in an hour and were padding around the camp wall. They saw the ginger, black, and brown cats, who were only those three colors, running around. Some were herding Skyclan kits into a den and were dragging the apprentices, including Hollypaw. Wildstar's eyes grew wide and he growled. He realised his mistake too late and saw all the Leafclan cats look at where they were hiding.  
"Charge!" yowled Wildstar, and the cats ran into the camp. Rosepaw was in charge of sneaking the kits away, and into the pit they quickly dug until they could bring them back. The apprentices could make it back on their own. Rosepaw sneaked behind the nursery while the battle raged. She dug a hole in the back, and reached inside. Bam! Her paw hit a wood wall. "Ahhhhh!!" she yowled. She brought her paw and licked it. When the pain stopped, she tried to figure out what to do with the wooden wall. She dug more earth and looked at the wood. She looked more closely and elated. She saw that the wood was only many sticks. She pushed them until she found a loose one.  
She pulled at it. She heard cracking sounds and new her plan was working. It snapped, and she went to the next one. It got easier to snap them now that she had space to put her paw through. When the hole was deep enough, she squeezed in. She sniffed a black and white kit, and she proved it was Leafclan. She picked a ginger one, and found it as a Leafclan one also. After sorting through twenty kits, sho noticed that only two were Skyclan; Tick-kit and Fishkit. Both were black with white spots on their fore head. Tick-kit's was small, and at first, everyone poked at it to confirm that it wasn't a tick. Fishkit's was shaped as a fish, thus her name.  
"There must be more," whispered Rosepaw, and she quickly ran off with the two kits, dropped them off at the pit with Daisyfur to keep them warm, and ran back. She smelled the air, her mouth partially open, to find hidden kits. She smelt blood, Leafclan and Skyclan warriors, and a small hint of fear scent of kits.  
Rosepaw ran toward the smell, but lost it behind the dens. She had no choice, she had to run through the battle. She saw Darkclaw fall, and she gulped in much air and ran into the raging and bloody battle, not knowing what might happen.


	6. An Astonishing Deed

Rosepaw ran to the camp and froze. Leafclan outnumbered Skyclan horribly. Rosepaw looked aroud the land, and saw Wildstar laying on the ground, unmoving with his shaggy fur blowing in the chilly wind.

_No! _ screamed Rosepaw in her head. She turned away from the limp body and slammed into the first cat she saw. It was ginger tabby-tom with a deep scar across his eye. He was small, about the size of Rosepaw. He hissed, and raked her face.

Rosepaw howled and ran in the direction of a grey queen. She turned around and looked into Rosepaw's eyes. She smelt her kits on her, and became enraged. "Where are my kits?" she yowled. Her voice cracked with anger. Rosepaw ignored this and jumped on top of her, as she had seen Grasspelt demonstrate many times before. She dug her claws into her shoulder and tried to hold on.

"You vile little brat! First you get into my kits, and now you try to attack an honored warrior?" shouted the queen. Rosepaw recognized this vanity to only Ashcoat. Rosepaw aimed to bite Ashcoat's shoulder, but she missed and bit down on her neck. Ashcoat fell, and Rosepaw looked at her deed with horror and astonishment. _My first kill. One of possibly many. _She thought. She looked around warily as if some cat would come up to her and scold her. But she only saw war. Raging, bloody war. She backed away from Ashcoat's body and felt someone behind her. She swirled around, and looked into Blackstar's ugly, scarred face. "Well, well. Looky, a little apprentice is trying to pick a fight with a big, strong leader, as myself," he hissed. "Brave, yet foolish. Hard to not mistake you as a kit, little brat. But, at least I have chance at making sure you don't leak anything to Wildstar over there. Oh, wait! I think he's died. By the paws of me, of course." Rosepaw's mind swirled. Thought beyond thought was stretching her mind to horrible facts. Rosepaw suddenly felt enraged. She leaped at Blackstar, but missed. He had jumped out of the way as easily as she could had walked to her den. Rosepaw's rage made her ignore this agility and she dove again. To her surprise, she made it onto his back and she was intent on holding on.

She dug her claws into his shoulders as he swerved around, trying to shake her off. He flipped back, slamming Rosepaw onto the ground. Rosepaw grunted, and Blackstar got up and quickly pinned her down. "Not so mighty now, eh kitty?" he hissed. Rosepaw couldn't squeeze out, and she felt every ounce of air swim out of her lungs as an air bubble on the river pops. She gasped for non existing air and her eyes widened._ I am going to die, _She thought. _And after I've done so much. _

Her life swam into her head. The day before she became an apprentice. The cold, foggy day in the nursery with her mother and Skykit. The day when noble Wildstar anointed her an apprentice. Wildstar. Rosepaw remembered the rage she felt when she saw the limp body. The brown and ginger hair flowing with the breeze. Her paws reached under her chest and she pushed. She felt her mussels complaining under the huge weight of the strong Blackstar. Rosepaw pushed him off enough to squeeze out. She jumped away and faced the vile leader. She hissed, and glared into the evil leader's eyes. "I have more lives than you, you stupid kit!" he hissed. Rosepaw sensed hollowness in his voice, and thought, _He must only have one left! _She glanced at Jayfeather, who nodded, as if knowing what she was thinking. Rosepaw pounced on Blackstar's back again, but this time holding on so hard that she smelt blood. Blackstar howled in rage and pain, and once again tried to shake her off. Rosepaw was just as enraged and held even harder.

Blackstar was screaming now, and every cat stopped to see what was making such a sound. They was a simple apprentice holding onto a huge leader. It interested every cat. The battle went silent, but a smaller battle was still raging. The battle of apprentice and leader.

Wildstar was now regaining conciousness, apparently he had only lost a life and had blacked out. He saw Rosepaw and Blackstar, and a signal was shooting from his brain to act. But his instincts were screaming to let it go. Rosepaw, holding on just as hard as ever, shot the final blow.

A straight gash on the neck. Blackstar fell, and Rosepaw got up. She looked at him, only this time, with his deeds being pondered in her mind, she felt no horror. She looked around, her eyes wide as if she had just discovered something new.

Every cat had stopped battling each other to watch her brave battle. She looked around more and saw Wildstar staggering toward her. She gasped, and ran to her leader, purring her loudest. "You're alive! Oh, Wildstar!" she exclaimed, and purred louder.

"Is he dead?" said Wildstar in reply.

"Yes, Wildstar," said Grasspelt and Mooneye at the same time. They looked at each other, at Rosepaw, and at Wildstar. "She and Skypaw both fought like warriors," finished Mooneye. Wildstar padded up to Rosepaw, and staggered. He had a deep gash in his leg, and he was all but refreshed. "Rosepaw, you have done something that no other apprentice could," he said. "And Skypaw, you fought as if there would be no chance to later." He raised his head, and Skyclan listened to his next words. Even Leafclan stared at him as if he was their own leader. "I, Wildstar, leader of Skyclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

He looked at Skypaw and Rosepaw with the look that a leader would only give a hero. "Rosepaw, Skypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Rosepaw and Skypaw shared burning excitement raise inside them. "I do," she said with as much bravery she could muster.

"I do," mirrored Skypaw, who didn't try to hide her excitement.

Wildstar continued, "Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior names: Rosepaw, from this moment you will be known as Rose-eyes. Starclan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan." Wildstar stepped forward and layed his muzzle on top of Rose-eyes lowered head. She bent lower to give his shoulder a respectful lick, then raised and walked toward the other warriors.

Wildstar padded to Skypaw and looked into her eyes.

"Skypaw, from this moment you will be known as Skyflower. Starclan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Skyclan." He laid her muzzle on Skyflower's head and Skyflower copied the respectful lick to Wildstar's shoulder. Skyflower padded to the other warriors and sat by Rose-eyes. Every cat, including Leafclan, were chanting Skyflower's and Rose-eye's new names.

"Rose-eyes! Skyflower! Rose-eyes! Skyflower!" Wildstars voice stopped the chanting to listen. "Twilight is setting in," he meowed. "In the tradition of our ancestors, Rose-eyes and Skyflower must sit in silent vigil until dawn, and guard the camp alone as we sleep. But first, we must go home."

The Skyclan cats followed Wildstar into the grass one by one until only Leafclan remained. Rose-eyes decided to talk to Skyflower before she started her vigil. "Well, we made it," she whispered. "We finally made it." Rose-eyes knew that her words were not talking of becoming warriors. She meant about that they had survived a horrible battle.

"We did make it!" replied Skyflower. "We sure did, Rosepaw. I mean, Rose-eyes!" Rose-eyes giggled at Skyflower's mistake and ran to catch up with the clan. When they had returned home, she saw Daisyfur and several other queens take the stolen kits to the nursery. The kidnapped apprentices were meowing thanks to Rose-eyes and many other warriors for rescuing them. Rose-eyes mewed one last, "You're welcome!" and sat in her silent vigil with her best friend, Skyflower.

When dawn's sun creeped over the horizon, Rose-eyes got the dawn beginning confirmed with Wildstar, and let Skyflower go to the warriors den to find a spot to sleep. "Rose-eyes, may I talk to you in my den, please?" asked Wildstar. Even if it sounded like a question, Rose-eyes knew that it was an order. She obeyed and followed Wildstar to the den curtained with moss.

"Rose-eyes, I am greatly impressed. You, an apprentice, defeated the strongest leader in this generation!" he exclaimed. "Rose-eyes, I am very proud to have you as a warrior in my Clan." He looked into Rose-eyes' eyes and continued. "I believe you will lead to greatness."

Rose-eyes looked at her leader with more admiration than ever. She remembered the moment when she was only a kit. Wildstar had seemed scary to her, and she feared him. Now she far from feared him. She respected him, and his superiority. "Wildstar, I think that I would never be able to reach as much glory as you," she meowed. Wildstar beamed, and replied, "Maybe so!"


	7. A New Deputy

Six moons later……….

Rose-eyes stretched and yawned. Dawn had just started to crawl into the hollow. She peeked outside and winced at the dawn sun. "Ahhhh, a beautiful day, again!" said Wildstar as he stepped through the moss strings that curtained his den. Crackedfang crawled out of his self-made den, which by now needed more repair. "Good morning," quickly meowed the old, but strong, deputy.

"I am choosing you to go on patrol this morning with Skyflower, Hollysun, and Grasspaw. Hollypaw, Wildstar's daughter, had become a warrior only two moons ago. Wildstar treated it like Starclan had just blanketed the whole of Skyclan with glory.

Rose-eyes obeyed and silently padded with the group, and they made way to the borders. They made their way to Fourtrees and along the border. "This is taking forever!" complained Grasspaw. "When'll we go back?"

"In a few," replied Hollysun, clearly annoyed. Grasspaw had been complaining of long patrols for days. Crackedfang seemed to be trying to cure him of it by making him go on every patrol. Hollysun silently objected. The morning crept like a caterpillar on a huge oak. The warm Leaf-green had just started after a long and brutal winter. Leafclan had a new leader, Petalstar, a black and white she-cat. Leafclan had long since become an ally of Skyclan, and always came as back-up. Flowerclan and Sunclan had their own alliance as well. Luckily, no war had started though out the season. When sunhigh had come, Rose-eyes, Hollysun, Grasspaw, and Skyflower headed back to camp. Something was wrong. Rose-eye's eyes watered as she and the others smelt smoke. It was coming from camp. Rose-eyes bolted through a smoldering tunnel and into a fire. She luckily had ran into a patch of dirt that wasn't burning.

She looked around wildly for anyone who could help. She saw Wildstar digging at Crackedfang's den. Rose-eyes remembered her dream about the fire and Crackedfang. She joined Wildstar's frantic digging, and saw Crackedfang's terrorized face in the burning den.

Then, the heat became unbearable. Wildstar yowled with pain. Rose-eyes tried to keep digging, but was also forced to stop at the heat of the flames. She couldn't see the beloved deputy anymore, and she howled. She tried to charge at the den again to dig more, but Wildstar kept her back. "He it gone, Rose-eyes," he said.

Rose-eyes heard the despair in his voice, and followed him out to the stream where all the cats went during a fire. The fire feared the water. The water was a protection from Starclan. Wildstar took account of the Clan, but then looked down when he got to Crackedfang's name.

"We have lost a brave warrior today, my Clan," he stated. "It was dear Crackedfang, the deputy." The Clan cats whispered to each other for a small moment before Wildstar continued. "I must choose another deputy. I have all day to, but I will choose now. I choose Rose-eyes." Rose-eyes stared at him. She would have never imagined being deputy. She nodded to him, and his eyes filled with even more sorrow. Rose-eyes felt his pain. She had always felt close to Crackedfang. And to have him suddenly taken away from her, it was just too much for her. When moonhigh came, the forest fire had been doused by Twolegs. The cats all thought that the Twolegs only use to them is to douse fires. They went home, and all went to bed.

Wildstar didn't even try to send out late patrols. They all slept, except for Rose-eyes and Wildstar. They were sitting with Crackfang's charred den. They didn't know where his body was. They assumed that it was burned to ash. A horrible way for a warrior to be buried.

"Wildstar, we tried to save him, right?" she asked. Wildstar only stared at the den. A few embers were still glowing inside it. Jayfeather had tried his best to make sure that it didn't start the fire again. The cats decided that to make sure that they buried the body was to collapse the den.

They did this by digging around the middle of the den, to destroy it's stability. When their long work was done, they heard a thump and dust raised into the air as the den collapsed. "Good bye, brave warrior," whispered Wildstar as the dust settled.

The next dawn, Rose-eyes woke up. She was confused when a bunch of cats asked her who would patrol, but then she remembered Crackedfang. Crackedfang. The name made her feel like she had woken from a bad dream. She desperately wished that it was a dream, and commonly scratched herself to confirm. This wasn't a dream. It was life. Rose-eyes took what she had learned from watching past deputies to semi-lead the camp. She sent the right cats on missions and patrols, she was able to lead to triumphant battles, though there were very, very few.

Rose-eyes decided to talk with Wildstar. Maybe see if it was possible to get some help. As much war as there wasn't, it was still complicating to have to organize the whole Clan every day.

"Wildstar, may I talk to you?" she asked around sunhigh. Wildstar wasn't in his den, so Rose-eyes assumed that he was hunting. Wildstar didn't like other cats to hunt for him. He only ate what he caught. Rose-eyes organized the evening patrol early, and went to the forest to hunt.

She caught three voles, five mice, and a rabbit. A very wealthy meal for her Clan. She put the fresh kill into the pile and picked out a thrush. They were plentiful in her forest and the cats' piles of kill were mostly thrushes.

Rose-eyes made her way to the stream after her meal to wash herself. She liked the stream water because it "talked" to her. Rose-eyes loved to hear the babbling water and the fish splashing away when her shadow cast over them. The gleaming water showed her reflection. Rose-eyes had seen herself in the water many times, but this time, something was different. She saw a stronger, more sorrowful face looking at her. _I am changing,_ she thought, and she truly was.


	8. Bad News

Rose-eyes padded back to the charred camp. She looked yet again at the grave of brave Crackedfang. She sighed, and went to see if Wildstar was back. He still wasn't. Rose-eyes told the next patrol to search for Wildstar on their way around the border.

Rose-eyes was worried. Bushkit had become more than six moons old, and still wasn't an apprentice. It had been a whole day and a half. _Wildstar, this isn't like you, _thought Rose-eyes, and continued on her way.

She sat in the sun warmed spot by the warrior's den and soaked it up. All the cats liked the sun, but mostly Rose-eyes. She saw Brownfur and Moondawn pad in after their hunting spree. They had brought back five voles, three mice, two rabbits, and six birds.

"Well done, Moondawn and Brownfur!" said Rose-eyes emptily. The two cats heard the hollow tone, and tried to comfort her. "It happened, Rose-eyes. There is nothing you can do," said Browfur.

"Yeah," said Moondawn. "And Wildstar will be back. He's done this before." Indeed, Wildstar had done this before. But when it had, it was because he had fallen off the plateau and had lost three whole lives. One off of slamming into a ledge, another of the same, and the last of the fall.

Rose-eyes still didn't feel better, for she remembered this. She feared for Wildstar. "Moondawn, Brownfur," started Rose-eyes. "I have been through a lot with you and Skyflower."

Moondawn and Browfur were Rose-eyes' next closest friends. They had just become warriors during the last six moons that Rose-eyes had become a warrior.

Rose-eyes continued. "I am grateful to have you as friends." Moondawn beamed and Brownfur purred. Brownfur had brown eyes and brown hair, hence her name. Moondawn was black, and her eyes were multi colored.

The bottom part was yellow while the top part was blue. The pupil looked like a moon, hence her name. "Thanks, Rose-eyes," mumbled Brownfur. Moondawn just kept beaming. She had an evil aura, but was the nicest cat you could meet.

Brownfur was, well, weird. She knew many fun things, such as what sound a vole would make if you squeezed it in the right spot.

Just then, the patrol came in. "You are early! Why?" snapped Rose-eyes. The patrol looked at her very sorrowful.

"What happened?" asked Rose-eyes loudly. "What?!" The patrol just became more sad. They looked into her eyes, and Rose-eyes started to worry even more. "What's going on? Tell me, or else!" The cats were amazed. Rose-eyes had never threatened her fellow cats before.

"Calm down, and give them a chance, Rose-eyes!" snapped Brownfur.

"Yeah," added Moondawn. "Cool it, Rose-eyes." Rose-eyes forced herself to calm down enough to give the patrol of five, Grasspaw, Flowerpaw, Graypelt, Darkshade, and Skyflower. Rose-eyes noticed her friend, and apologized quickly. "Sorry, Skyflower. I'm just worried." Skyflower just nodded and started to speak. "We have very bad news, Rose-eyes." Rose-eyes' worry thrashed back into her like an explosion in reverse. Rose-eyes started to breath faster and blacked out.

The cats looked at Rose-eyes' unconscious body, and they sighed. They knew some very bad news, and the closest to a leader they have was unconscious. "Dang it! Oh, Starclan," said Darkshade. He had always been the one to think of a leader or deputy as weak, even the strongest. Skyflower sighed and waited for Rose-eyes to wake up.


	9. The End, and the Beginning

Rose-eyes was in a beautiful forest. Rose-eyes wanted to stay right where she was, in the sunlight. But her body didn't. It made its way into the trees, where the light disappeared. Rose-eyes was trying madly to go back, but couldn't. She gave up, and just went where her legs took her. She passed many cats, all greeting her by the name Rosestar. _Rosestar? _Thought Rose-eyes.

She wasn't a leader. Rose-eyes was constantly hearing cats calling to her by the confounding name. "I am not a leader!" she said, but the cats just laughed. "Of course you are," said a rough voice. Rose-eyes spun around to the voice she missed so much.

"Crackedfang!" she exclaimed. Crackedfang smiled, and Rose-eyes wanted to go to him, but her body didn't. It just moved along with Crackedfang, as if Rose-eyes was sharing a body with another cat, and she had no control of her limbs.

They stopped at a spring with a glistening waterfall. Crackedfang walked through it, and Rose-eyes' body forced her to do it, also. She didn't feel her fur mat down on her skin, which is what happened when cats got wet. Rose-eyes didn't feel wet at all.

They came into another forest, this one had no prey or cats in it. They trees seemed transparent, almost starry. The ground seemed like the trees also. "It feels like heaven," said Rose-eyes.

"It is, Rose-eyes," answered Crackedfang. "It is our heaven, Starclan." Rose-eyes gaped at him. "Then, am I dead?" she asked. Crackedfang looked at her, then laughed. "Oh, of course not! You're just here, Rose-eyes." Rose-eyes tried to understand, but failed miserably. It was completely confusing. "But, only dead cats are in Starclan, Crackedfang, right?" she stuttered. Crackedfang laughed again. "Oh, really? Do you want to be dead, Rose-eyes?" he asked. Rose-eyes shook her head quickly, but then wondered why she had even answered such a weird question.

"Oh, Crackedfang. I don't really know where I am, even if you just told me. How am I here?" she asked. Crackedfang laughed even more. Rose-eyes wondered why he thought this was so funny. "Well, for a live cat, I suppose you really don't know. Well, this is half way a dream, dear Rose-eyes," he answered.

"Half way, Crackedfang?" mirrored Rose-eyes.

"Half way," he stated. Rose-eyes was even more confused. This was only a dream, now, right? Only a ridiculous dream. She was shaking her head now, the only part she had free will for. _All a dream! All a horrible dream! _She constantly reassured herself. In many hours, or maybe not even a minute, Rose-eyes spoke again. "May I go back?" Crackedfang nodded, and Rose-eyes fell through the transparent earth.

She slammed into something, and awoke. She was in her den. Skyflower, Moondawn, and Browfur were looking down on her. "Skyflower started sobbing, now. "Skyflower told us, Rose-eyes," said Moondawn, now her eyes were foggy with sorrow. Brownfur joined in with the sobbing with Skyflower, and Rose-eyes remembered the patrol, and their horribly sorrowful faces.

"What has happened, Skyflower?" asked Rose-eyes as best she could. Skyflower sobbed again, and Moondawn motioned to Darkshade and Grasspaw. They carefully carried a motionless mass into the open. Its brown and ginger fur flowing in the light breeze. They laid it down gently, and Skyflower, and the rest of the females, sobbed hard. Even Moondawn, the cat that pretty much never cried. Rose-eyes was weeping, though she only halfway knew what it was. She came closer to it, and confirmed that it was brave Wildstar. Rose-eyes looked at his cloudy, unfeeling eyes. Dead eyes.

"NO!" cried Rose-eyes, and she fell on top of him. She kept muttering, "No," as if he wasn't aloud to die without her permission. The cats let her sob. "We found him at the bottom of the plateau, Rose-eyes," said Darkshade.

Rose-eyes didn't care how it happened, she was just too sad. Rose-eyes and several other cats stayed with him over the night, telling of his brave stories. Then, Moondawn asked a question that stopped all their hearts. "Who will lead us now?"

Yes, who would lead them? They couldn't go for more than a week without a leader. But they only sorrowed for Wildstar, not themselves. "Do not pity the dead, pity the living," said Jayfeather many times, though his words bounced of their minds like a leaf bounces of each branch as it falls to the ground.

The next morning, the cats closest to Wildstar buried his limp mass in the forest, by the tree where he had been chosen to be leader. Rose-eyes was among them, and was sorrowing the most. When her tears stopped, the pain thrashed her heart like a pair of ice claws.

"Goodness, it shouldn't be this hard!" whispered Rose-eyes to Moondawn. Skyflower was hunting, and Brownfur was in too much pain, but Moondawn was good and comforting pain. Moondawn had almost been the Medicine Cat, but she did not want that. Moondawn was too adventurous, and she didn't favor the idea of just "sittin' 'round getting cats hooked on poppies," as Moondawn said it. No, it just would not do.

When the Gathering came, which was a whole week, Rose-eyes invited herself and a few other trusted cats. Rose-eyes, and the other leaders, started the Gathering. When she pathetically yowled, the meows and conversations stopped, except for a spoiled apprentice from Flowerclan kept crying about being hungry.

"Clan cats," started one of the leaders. Rose-eyes didn't care on who the leaders were, but she knew the new ones. The leader after Blackstar died before he got his nine lives and was now Shaggystar, Flowerclan one's last life was spent on old age and their new leader was Poppystar, Sunclan's leader was chased out by his Clan who declared mutiny and the new one was Beamstar, and Skyclan still had no leader. "Clan cats, we have had a harsh twelve moons.

All of our leaders have deceased, and we are in hard times. Skyclan has had no leader for seven suns, and I believe that causes problems even more." The leader, which was now recognized by Rose-eyes as Poppystar.

Poppystar looked at Rose-eyes, clearly recognizing her from the day the albino became a warrior. It confused Rose-eyes that such a cat, who was known to know every cat in the Clans and Twoleg territory, wouldn't remember her from the Gathering after the harsh battle against Skyclan and Leafclan.

"I suppose that you are the new leader?" asked Beamstar to Rose-eyes. Rose-eyes looked shocked. "No," she stammered. "we still haven't chosen a new leader." Beamstar nodded, and Shaggystar sneered at her. "Next thing you'll know, it'll be a season, and no leader." Rose-eyes ignored this slightly, and continued the Gathering.

No one new what happened. The Gathering came and went, and when they came back, every cat at camp was battling. Wretched Sunclan had attacked their camp as Skyclan came home. Flowerclan warriors were with them too. They all scattered when the cats came back to camp, knowing that it was meant only for a raid. Rose-eyes stared in horror at their camp; the dens were collapsed, the whole nursery was being scavenged in case for lost kits, and the Leader den was full of crowsfood. Clearly the alliance of Sunclan and Flowerclan was becoming a problem.

But luckily they had their own alliance with Leafclan. Rose-eyes had flashbacks of all horrible events; Crackedfang, Wildstar, and now the raid at her camp had ceased that life of a cat, though Rose-eyes hadn't been informed of whom. When the news came, Rose-eyes' heart stopped. Daisyfur had been lost. Rose-eyes' mother had lost her life to the two wretched clans.

"Rose-eyes, I know how hard it is for you," soothed Skyflower between sobs. Brownfur had gone to look for any more lost lives, and Moondawn had gone out hunting. Darkshade and all the apprentices were out paying respects to Daisyfur because Daisyfur had been loved by all the young cats. Darkshade was just the babysitter, even though he didn't quite approve of her relationship with the apprentices and kits. "All they need is a second momma to baby them to death!" was all that Darkshade said.

Rose-eyes was in too much pain to go. She had lost too much. Too much to bare. Rose-eyes suddenly felt something new, something that soothed her heart and raised her voice. She climbed inter the tree that served a post for their leaders. It was a large Weeping Willow. It's branches and leaves were so thick, that all the cats could walk on it as if it were ground.

"Cats of Skyclan!" she yowled. The cats all heard her and listened. "We have suffered much! Our deputy, our leader, and now a beloved warrior have been lost! We have grown weak, and Sunclan and Flowerclan have now started conflict." Rose-eyes sounded like a leader, or so the clan under her thought. At the same moment, a thought clicked into each head.

"I say we fight! We will not let those disgraceful clans bring us down!" she finished, and her clan cheered. They cheered under her, and she felt heat flush through her body. This wasn't embarrassment, this was pride. Suddenly, the pain stopped enough for her to smile. Smile at her beloved clan, at her friends, at everything.

The next morning, Rose-eyes woke up drowsily at the sun. _Man, these days sure seem short! _She thought. She licked her white fur, and looked around with her red eyes. "Rose-eyes, come here!" said Skyflower into the hole into the den. She came out to the sight of her clan. They all were out. Every single one. Even the kits were tumbling around her. "Rose-eyes," started Darkshade. "We all have made a decision." He looked at the clan behind him as if not sure if they agreed after all at the words in his mouth. "We all have decided for you to be our leader." Rose-eyes looked at them all. She looked at all those faces. They all had populated her life, and she loved them all. "I-I don't think I qualify!" she stammered. She was so shocked. "I can't!" The whole clan seemed to shake their heads. "NO! You have led them without even realizing it!" said a mysterious voice in her head. Suddenly, Rose-eyes saw a shaggy, ginger and brown cat with piercing, yet kind, eyes in the back of head.

Wildstar. "I said I expected great things from you, and now you see meant!" Rose-eyes let tears show, she gulped down a sob, and said, "Thank you, all! I will lead this Clan to glory!" The cats cheered, and Rose-eyes felt more pride then she could stand; she cried. It was happy crying, tears at memories and friendship. She looked at her cats, her cats that she had known since birth.

Skyflower, Moondawn and Brownfur especially. They had helped her, and now she had a difficult choice to make: who would she chose to be deputy? They all were potential leaders, and all knew what to do. She mentally made a hard decision on Skyflower. Yes, her longest friend would be deputy.

Moonhigh came, and she went to Mothermouth with Darkshade, Skyflower, Brownfur, and Moondawn. Oh, how she would have wanted Daisyfur here. She pushed it off, and continued. She crawled into the cave and saw the shining rock. It glowed like the moon in the echoing cave. She sat in front of it and laid down. She instantly was walking across the transparent earth as in her dream.

She saw Daisyfur, Wildstar, and Crackedfang waiting for her, along with a bunch of mystery cats. "I am so proud!" said Daisyfur. She beamed. "Oh, so proud, Rosestar!" Rose-eyes almost ignored this name. Now Wildstar spoke. "Right up to my expectations! I knew it the second that you brought down Blackstar!" Rose-eyes looked up at the floating mystery cats, wondering where Blackstar is if he didn't make it here.

Now Crackedfangs croaky voice echoed into the vast stars. "I guess it was fortune that I burned," he said. "My old frame couldn't lead such a clan!" Rosestar laughed. She laughed for the first time in moons. Daisyfur was just beaming, which was added on to the light that surrounded her. "Who are those?" asked Rosestar to Wildstar. "Oh, those are your ancient ancestors," said the former leader calmly. Rosestar now noticed the Lions in the group, along with smaller cats and now the cats of this generation.

"I have a question, to you all: Why me?" asked the albino. Crackedfang laughed like he did in her dream, but Rosestar took no notice. "Well, mainly because you're a good leader!" he said as if every cat in the world knew. Rosestar was still not satisfied.

"I know they chose me for that, but I am no exactly qualified. Most leaders have been warriors for years and years, and I've only been one for six moons!" she stated. Wildstar answered this time.

"Well, I know, but who says that age matters in leadership? I was chosen at only one year, and have been one for years to come!" Rosestar was now satisfied. Daisyfur now exploded and ran up to Rosestar and purred and rubbed against her. "Oh! I am so proud!" she exclaimed for the third time.

Rosestar purred too, and then Daisyfur receded back to the other cats. "Oh, I suppose you need your nine lives now, right?" said Crackedfang. Rosestar laughed, nodded, and then she felt it. Life. She felt strength surge through her, and she now felt like a real leader. "Remember," said Wildstar as she started to go back to earth. "nine lives doesn't make you invincible. Only an older leader." Rosestar noted this statement like an omen.

She opened her eyes, and saw Skyflower looking over her. "Are you okay, Rosestar?" she asked. Rosestar felt different. She didn't feel surprised when she heard the name, she only did it when Darkshade accidentally called her Rose-eyes. Only Darkshade did it. _He was so goofy, _thought Rosestar.

She arrived at her camp, and she was greeted by many cats. Even Brownfur, Moondawn, and Skyflower acted as if they had been at camp all that time. She started for the warrior den, and then realized her mistake and turned to the Leader's den, now Rosestar's den.

She quickly climbed onto the Weeping Willow that held generations of leaders. She noted that no time had been lost on her time with Starclan. It was still Moonhigh. "I need a deputy now," she said. Every cat turned to her. "I choose Skyflower. Are you up to it?" She knew that she didn't sound ceremonial, and didn't care. Skyflower smiled, and nodded. "Yes, Rosestar!" Rosestar looked toward Moondawn and Brownfur. They didn't have a trace of envy.

Rosestar nodded at this, and noted the time again. She felt more alert, now. Like anything could be needed. "Now, let us all sleep. I will not set guards, as I know that one night will not hurt." She knew this, because she saw a peaceful tomorrow while she received her nine lives.

"Moondawn, I anoint you as head warrior," she stated. "And Brownfur, you are co-head warrior." They both nodded, and Rosestar felt that they would have been the best choices, even if they were her friends. They all were strong, and together they would rebuild Skyclan, bit by bit.

The next few hours were hours of discovery. Rosestar examined her new den. It still smelt of Wildstar. His fur was still matted on the ground, and Jayfeather came in quickly to clean it out. But Rosestar kept a small bit hidden in the corner. She wanted to remember Wildstar, even if only a smell would do it.

She felt the moss under her before she fell into sleep. She had great and realistic dreams, and in each one, she was with Daisyfur, Crackedfang, and especially her dear Wildstar.


	10. A Book, And Peace

**Six moons later... **

Rosestar looked over her plateau. Her fur was ruffling in the wind as she just thought. She had become a deep thinker, lately. She watched the grasses and shrubs below her move as the Leafclan allies moved around. _How things change when you become a leader, _she thought for the thousandth time. She had been right. You're perspective changes along with your life. It had only been six moons since Skyclan had chosen her as leader.

"Rosestar!" cried Moondawn. "Maplewind's kits have been born!" Rosestar followed Moondawn into the nursery, and a sight shocked her. Against the jet black Maplewind's fur, and the gray and black kits, she saw a little albino at the edge of the line of kits. "Rosestar," whispered Maplewind. "I know. It's surprising, but true." Rosestar smiled at the little kit. It's fur was still quite matted, but you could clearly see that the fur was white. Rosestar nudged the kit around until she could see its face. She gasped; the kit looked exactly like she did. She quickly glanced at the other kits; two. A gray one and a black one. "I shall name them," said Rosestar. She went to the black one. "Little one, you shall now be known as Nightkit." she walked over to the grey one, next. "You shall now be known as Stormkit." she finally got to the albino kit. "Little one, I feel that you will be especially strong. I shall name you Rosekit." Maplewind and Moondawn looked at their leader. Maplewind smiled, and Moondawn went back to her den.

Rosestar watched as Rosekit played with Nightkit. She remembered when she would tumble with Skyflower, who was now hunting. _Yes, many things do change, _she thought. She wondered what this kit would really end up as. She could very well be a Medicine cat. Or maybe she would die in battle as a warrior? These possibilities rushed through her head. Now that she was leader, Rosestar began remembering the other leaders. Flowerclan's was now Oakstar. Sunclan's was still Beamstar and Leafclan's was now Willowstar.

Rosestar was hunting at the borders of her camp. She picked herself a nice, fat, gopher. She was proud of digging for hours to get it out of its den. She carried the fat body into a shallow hole. She patted dirt over it and listened for more prey. She heard the twittering of chickadees; in trees and impossible to catch. She cocked her head the other way. She heard the soft heartbeat of a baby mouse. No, no young. Only elder prey. She turned toward the east, listening once again, her mouth slightly open to smell. She heard a soft rustling. Even softer than the leaves.  
She smelt a light Twoleg scent. She ran toward the sound. She stopped when she saw many large, white leaves. They were all the same shape, and hanging to a hard surface, which was the same shape. They were clinging to it in a semi-circle. As the wind blew the white leaves, Rosestar saw black marks on the page. She didn't think they were dirt, as they were perfectly aligned across the leaves. She got closer, and nothing happened. She picked it up, noticing that it was heavy, and dragged it back to camp.

"Jayfeather!" she called. The elderly Medicine Cat lugged out of his den. "Yes, Rosestar," he replied. He saw the white leaves on the hard surface, and his face contracted in recognition. "You found this?" he asked. Rosestar nodded. "I know what it is, it's just...These things are only used by Twolegs!"  
"Yes, but what is it?" she asked.  
"It is a source of learning for Twolegs. It tells stories about heroes from Twoleg past. But some are made up," he explained. "Some of the stories have names. But all the contraptions are called books." Rosestar wondered what a "book" was. "How do you access the knowledge?" she asked. "All I see are spots." Jayfeather put his stiff paw on the book, stopping its movement. Rosestar saw illustrations of leaves and animals. She saw some Twoleg nests and Twolegs in beautiful clothing. Some of the spots in the leaves were on the pictures. Jayfeather interrupted her reverie.  
"The spots inside are a language that only Twolegs can read," he said. "Only kittypets know the language, as they see and hear it all around them." Rosestar decided that she must learn this knowledge. "I must find cats to help us access this book," she said. "I must go to Twoleg territory." Jayfeather nodded. "I will tell Skyflower to organize a party at once.

Rosestar looked over her group of cats: Skyflower, Darkshade, Maplewind, and Moondawn. "Cats of Skyclan," she said. "You are aware of the object of the Twolegs we found?" Her group nodded. "We must find a kittypet that knows the language of this book," she continued. "We go now." She turned around and ran into the brush. The group followed her. They went down the hilly land and to the landscape that spirals around the plateau. They carefully descended down the thin slope, and reached the bottom. Rosestar looked into the sky to see where the sun was. She blinked, and went east to Leafclan borders. "We must caution," she said. "We cannot cross the border." Darkshade mapped quickly where the scent of the border was. "Twelve rabbit leaps away is the eastern border," he stated, and Rosestar led her part around it. They reached a high, square row of shrubs that the Twolegs control to keep animals of the forest away. They scrambled under the thick hedge, and onto a thin strand of grass that ended at a thunderpath. They crept back as a Monster rushed across it. Then another, and another. Endless Monsters ran across their black paths, and it was impossible to go across. "How are we to cross it, Rosestar?" asked Maplewind. Rosestar looked across. She saw a large squirrel run across the path. She expected it to be launched at by a Monster, but then the raging creature stopped with a howl.  
She saw that Twolegs climbed out of the ears of the Monster, and shooed the squirrel away. They climbed back in, and onto a rough path by a Twoleg nest. "I know how we'll get through," she said, and walked across the path. The cats looked at each other, and reluctantly followed. Then, a Monster with a long, square tail came rushing at them. They all screamed, expecting to die. Then, they heard a howl. The Monster had stopped, and a Twoleg came out of its ears. It said a sort of language in a loud voice and kicked at them. They ran off and onto a smaller path that Twolegs walked on. They saw female Twolegs cooing at them, and crouching down to touch them. They ran out from the long, toed paws of the Twolegs and into the small territory of a Twoleg nest. "This is where I know Sissy lives," said Rosestar. They all thought about how a non ceremonial name she had, and followed their leader into the back parts of the nest's territory. They saw a brown calico pushing a fake mouse around.  
Sissy saw them, and recognized Rosestar. "Rosepaw!" she cried. "How are you? I haven't seen you since I wondered out of my Twoleg nest," she said. Rosestar purred. "Thanks, Sissy, but I'm Rosestar, now!" Sissy laughed. "Oh," she said. "Um, that means your a leader now, right?" she asked. Rosestar smiled. She remembered telling Sissy as much as she could in the hour she met with her. "Okay, Sissy," she said. "I need your help. My Clan has found a book, which is by your Twolegs. We want to learn the language that is used in this book." Sissy's eyes narrowed. "I have a feeling you don't have it here. I know most of the language of Twolegs," she said. "I will come with you." She looked into a blocked hole in the walls of the Twoleg nest, and ran into Rosestar's group.  
"I'm hating this kittypet food." Rosestar had a nagging hope that Sissy could be part of her clan, but another thought said that Sissy was too old. She hadn't been to the cutter, but was still too old.

Sissy was amazed when she saw the dens and brush in the camp. She was almost unhappy that she was interrupted to read the book. "Okay," she said. "First things first! The words on the cover is "Cinderella"." Rosestar thought again that this was a very unceremonious name, also. But was still beautiful. "Once upon a time," started Sissy. Rosestar noted that these were the words used by elders to begin stories. "There was once a beautiful maiden named Ella. She lived with her good father, her evil stepmother, and her spoiled stepsisters. One day, her kind father died, and she was left with her evil stepkin. They forced to her to work everything for them. Including food, chores, and cleaning. They nicknamed her Cinderella, because she always went to bed dusty with cinders from the fireplace.  
One day, an invitation came from the castle. It was a ball, hosted by the monarch's son. There were four: one for her, one for her stepmother, and one for each of her stepsisters. "You can come to the ball, Cinderelly," said her stepmother. "If, you finish all your chores first." Cinderella looked at her list of chores. It was too long to be done before the ball. When her stepkin left, her animal friends gathered around her. Cinderella was so sweet and kind, that all the animals befriended her. Especially the mice, who she saved from the family cat.  
"Oh, Cinderelly," said a small female mouse named Isabelle. "Poor, poor, Cinderelly." Cinderella wiped her tears, and quickly set off toward her first chore. "What shall we do to help?" said Isabelle to the other mice. Isabelle was the only one of them with a name she remembered. They all just called her Issy. (Sissy noted that it rhymed with her name) "We could help Cinderelly with her chores," said a smaller, yet fat, male mouse. "No, no, no!" said Issy. "We cannot do that. We'll all be crushed. We must cheer her up!" The little mice all put their heads together. "I know!" said a big, skinny mouse, who was actually a friendly rat. "We can make her a dress for the ball!" All the mice agreed to this, and went into the mean stepsister's room. They found a frilly dress and jewelry. They set to work for hours as Cinderella worked on her chores.  
Cinderella stepped up off the stairs. Done. She was done with the chores! "Oh dear!" she said, noting her red knees and sore hands. It was the day of the ball, and they all were excited. She was pushed aside when her stepmother and stepsisters ran down the stairs. "Oh, Cinderella!" said her stepmother. "I see that you are done! Now, all you need is a dress." Cinderella's eyes drooped. She didn't have a dress to wear. Then, the mice and birds scurried in, carrying a pink cloth. "Oh, thank you, everyone!" she whispered, keen not to let her stepkin hear. She took the dress, caught two mice who were trapped inside, and ran to her room. She came out in her dress. She swirled around the room.  
"Stepmother!" she cried. She watched as her evil stepmother and her daughters came into the room. "I have a dress!" Then, her stepsisters screamed. "That is my dress!" said one. "And my jewelry!" said the next. They ripped the jewelry off her, and told her to take the dress off. Cinderella lugged out of her room, back into her work dress, and handed her stepsister the dress. She was not mad at the mice and birds. Only sad. She started crying, and ran into the garden away from her house. As she was crying, a voice came through her sorrow. "My dear, don't cry," it said, and an elderly woman in robes appeared. "Who are you?" said Cinderella, wiping the tears off her eyes. "I am your fairy Godmother!" exclaimed the woman, then asked why she was crying. Cinderella told her story, and Godmother nodded. "Well," she said. "We'll just have to take you to the ball ourselves!" Before Cinderella could ask, Godmother summoned all the animals in the garden. With a few magic words, the mice turned to elegant horses. The family cat turned into a handsome coachman, and a pumpkin that was trapped between the flowers turned into a beautiful carriage.  
Then, Cinderella's work dress glowed silver and blue. Her hair was into a shining bow, and her feet bared glass slippers. She climbed into the carriage and thanked her Godmother. "Now, dear," she said. "You must remember. You must be back before midnight!" Cinderella noted this, and the carriage set off. It arrived to the castle in a matter of minutes.  
Cinderella excitedly ran into the castle to the presents of many people. On the other end of the ballroom, the prince and his father sat on their thrones. Many young maidens were lined up, ready to be judged if they would wed the prince. In the line was Cinderella's stepkin. Cinderella walked closer to the end of the line, not keeping her eye off the prince. Then, the prince saw her. He got off of his throne, and walked over to her. "May I have a dance?" he proclaimed. Cinderella took his hand and his shoulder, and waltzed with the prince. None of them counted the time, and before Cinderella knew it, the clock stroke twelve midnight. Cinderella panicked. "I must go!" she cried, hearing the second bong.  
"Don't go, yet!" replied the prince, but she was already gone. Cinderella ran out of the castle, dropping one of her slippers. She climbed into the carriage, which poofed back after they went down a hill, where no one could see them. Cinderella ran back to her house, and into bed right before her stepkin came back. "Hope you had fun home alone, Cinderelly!" taunted her stepmother. Her daughters laughed, and Cinderella acted sorrowful. The next morning, a knock came onto the door. It was the king's harold. "The prince has executed a party to find the princess that danced with him the night of the ball," he stated, and walked in. The harold brought out a glass slipper, which Cinderella recognized. The harold first tried the slipper onto Cinderella's stepmother. The slipper hung on her too-small foot. As she scowled, the harold tried to put it on the two stepsisters. The first one almost broke the slipper, as it was too big. The other fit good, but the shape of the foot did not match the slipper, and cut into her foot. The harold started toward Cinderella, but her stepmother stopped him. "Do not do her! She wasn't at the ball, so you're just wasting your time," The harold shook his head. "No, the prince said to try every maiden in the land!" he said. He walked to Cinderella, who sat down onto the nearest stool. She harold gently put the shoe on. He stared at Cinderella, and smiled. "It fits!" he exclaimed, and took her hand. "We must go now!" he said, and led her to his carriage.  
Cinderella sat in the carriage, happy that finally she would leave her stepkin. She was taken to the prince. "It is you!" he exclaimed. They were so happy together. Now, the son could take over the kingdom when he grew of age. The two wed on a beautiful day when blossoms of the trees rained down, and they lived happily ever after. The end."

"So," said Sissy. "I hope you are satisfied." Rosestar nodded. She noticed that the other cats were hypnotized by the story, and all the kits and most apprentices had gathered around as well. They all asked Sissy what things were, such as a carriage or a castle. Sissy, surprisingly, was able to answer all the questions. "Thank you, Sissy," said Skyflower. Darkshade smiled at her and Maplewind took her kits back to the nursery. "Thank you, also, Sissy," said Rosestar. Sissy smiled, then purred. "Rosepaw-I mean-Rosestar, I am wondering," she said. "I am considering joining Skyclan." Rosestar suddenly felt great delight, then remembered that she never trained. "You were not born here, Sissy," she said. "And you cannot train because you are too old." Sissy smiled, surprisingly. "Oh, but I have trained," she said. "I train every day. I battle with Franky and Donn every day. I hunt mice instead of that disgusting food, and I take what remains to my mother." Rosestar knew that this was all that her clan did, only in a different way. Sissy continued, "I must fight to keep away from the dog! I've dreamed of Starclan since you've told me about it! And my kits from last year. My Twolegs called them Kiss, Ted, and Baby. But I named Kiss, Sunheart. Ted, Dustfur. And Baby, Browntail." Rosestar knew that Sissy was devoted to being in a Clan, and dreamed of it. "Well, Sissy," said Rosestar. "All _you_ need is a name." Sissy smiled, clearly delighted. Rosestar climbed up the tree that was used by all the history of leaders.  
"Let all cats old enough to hunt for themselves gather beneath this tree," she yowled. All the older cats gathered around, eagr to listen to the news. Rosestar motioned for Sissy to climb up with her. "Cats of Skyclan. Sissy, a kittypet, has dreamed of joining our clan for many moons," she said. "She has devoted her life preparing for this moment, and I am glad to reward her. Sissy is warrior age, so she must have a warrior name. Sissy, by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name, Braveheart. Not many cats have had this name, as it is given to the truly loyal. I am proud to give it to you, Braveheart." The cats below chanted Braveheart's new name, relishing the moment. "I believe, though, that you should catch up and to the vagil of silence. You shall guard our camp, without saying a single word, while we sleep. But before then, we shall feast!" Rosestar asked for the hunting patrol to bring in all they have for a meal. The meal was large, and Rosestar and Braveheart talked about what went on after their meeting as kits. "YOU killed Blackstar? That evil leader? Wow," said Braveheart.

It was now night. Braveheart sat outside the dens, silently taking her vagil. Rosestar dreamed of her life. Everything. She smiled and purred in her sleep, knowing that everything that had happened had come for the greater good. She still struggled when the part came of the death of Wildstar and Crackedfang. When she woke up, she saw Bravehearts face over her. "Wake up, sleepy head!" she called. Rosestar noticed that it was sunhigh. "Man," she said. "I slept long! I'll organize a hunting party and a patrol and then we can get going." They were planning to travel to the lake today. It was far, and would take the rest of the day. "Let's go!" she said, and ran down the plateau's slide down. "Which way is west?" asked Braveheart. Rosestar quickly taught her how to map where directions are by the sun. It only took a minute. "Okay, the lake is northwest, and we are going west. If we turn a little to the right, then we'll be on course," said Braveheart. Rosestar knew that this was right, and ran a little to the left. After many hours, they smelled fish and the foggy scent of the water plants. Rosestar checked the sky: twilight. Pinks, purples, and greens danced in the sky as they came closer to the lake. "Wow!" cried Braveheart. And she had every right to. As the greens and pinks danced, the purples swirled. The water glistened as the butterflies and dragonflies flew in the painted sky. Faint stars sparkled lightly as the full moon was creeping. The sun was almost gone when the most amazing thing happened.

Cats with starry fur flew in the sky as well. Their fur rustling, their ears blew back. They sang a happy, yet slow, song. It enchanted them. It was a song that promised a great future. Rosestar looked at the Starclan cats. They were beautiful, wonderful, spirits of the stars. They flew out of the just-appearing Silverpelt like petals off an apple tree getting ready to bud their deliceous fruit. Then, five cats landed on the ground, their pelts glowing, and their smiles elegant. Rosestar recognized three of them as Daisyfur, Crackedfang, and dearest Wildstar. The other two, presumably, were relations to Braveheart. "We are glad you came," said Wildstar in a voice that seemed out of nowhere. "Rosestar," said Daisyfur. "You do not know these two cats. This is Greystar and Bramblefur. They are your grandmother and grandfather." Rosestar no longer thought they were Braveheart's relations. "Cats of Starclan," said Braveheart. "I hope you except me as a Clan cat." The cats looked at each other, and smiled at her. "Every Clan cat is accepted, Braveheart," said Crackedfang. "Now, Rosestar. We have a message from the Great Cat." he continued. "He says that you have set a prophecy." Rosestar was puzzled. "A prophecy? What, and to whom?" Wildstar stepped forward.  
"A cat of white shall be part of a horrific event of war, yet peace. It is talking of Rosekit, Rosestar. The land shall be quiet, but tensions may arise. Blackstar didn't end the turmiol at his death. He son is a problem. His son will do no wrong, but there is a problem. His son, Blackpaw, is half Skyclan." Rosestar listened to this. "Well," she said. "The way I think of this, it does not matter if he is Skyclan, Leafclan, or Dungclan! We do not intend on trying to take poor Blackpaw, let Leafclan take him. Now, what does Rosekit have to do with this?" Crackedfang took over this time. "Rosekit thinks that Blackpaw should be in this clan. They may become friends, and he will join. It's Leafclan we are worried about.  
Rosestar pondered this. "Now, there is peace. Later, we shall worry about turmoil. Thank you, all of you," she said, and the cats faded away as the sun disappeared. "Wow," said Braveheart. "Cool!" Rosestar didn't quite know what a cool was, but thought it ment good. "Let us stay here overnight, Braveheart," she said. "All is well, now." They found an abandoned badger nest, and fell asleep. They didn't worry about any turmoil in their dreams, and knew that peace is now, and war was delayed. They purred all night, and awakened to a promising morning with no war, turmoil, or blended kits. Not yet, though. Not yet.


End file.
